


Thankful

by jesileigh



Series: Holiday Themed Fic [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendsgiving, Friendship, Gen, Holidays, SO MUCH FLUFF, Season/Series 05, Thanksgiving, aunt lissy, baby sara still exists, because frak you barry allen, maybe a little bit of angst, uncle ollie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8648392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesileigh/pseuds/jesileigh
Summary: Knowing that most of them don't have a family to go home to for the holidays, Oliver surprises the team (new and old) with a Thanksgiving feast in the Arrow Cave and everyone shares what they're most thankful for. Canon compliant through 5x07(minus the whole erasing Baby Sara debacle)





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's almost 11:30pm on the west coast right now, so I'm pushing the limits here, but I wanted to put out a bit of Thanksgiving fluff. I absolutely wrote this while I was meant to be spending time with my family. You're welcome ;)

It was a typical Pacific Northwestern day in late fall. The skies were a murky gray and the rain splattering against the huge windows of the loft made a soothing hum that had Felicity feeling a bit more relaxed than usual. She was wrapped in her favorite green afghan and curled up on the couch with her tablet and the fireplace crackling in the background, casting a warm glow over everything. Overall, it was a pretty peaceful evening, which was a rarity these days.

It was the first Thanksgiving she had spent alone since joining Team Arrow five years ago, and she wasn’t sure if she was thankful for the solitude or overwhelmed by it. Billy had flown back to his hometown somewhere in the Midwest, and Felicity had declined his persistent invites over the past month. She told him it was because she couldn’t be away from work in case she was needed, but really she just wasn’t sure they’d reached the ‘cross-country flight to meet your parents for the holidays’ stage of their relationship yet. If she was being totally honest she wasn’t really sure they ever would, nor if she really wanted them to. 

Oliver had gone with Thea to a homeless shelter in the Glades to serve dinner to those who might not have had one otherwise. The reporter he had gone out with a few times had been onsite with a news crew and she’d stood side by side with him as he’d handed out plates to the eager residents. When she’d playfully dabbed a bit of whipped cream on Oliver’s nose with a giggle, Felicity had shut the news off and thrown the remote to the other couch with a glare. 

Now she sighed as she got the news alert about Mayor Handsome’s surprise visit to the Glades, complete with a close up of Oliver and what’s-her-name grinning mid-food fight. The reason she’d set up alerts for anytime he was mentioned in the media suddenly escaped her, and she tossed her tablet to the side now as well, glaring at it as though it had betrayed her.  

A glance at her phone told her it was still a bit early to head to the lair, but Oliver had messaged her earlier asking if she could go in as soon as possible to check on a search she’d started the night before. She sighed and shrugged to herself. It’s not like she had anything else to do. At least with her computers she’d have something to keep herself busy. With that in mind she grudgingly put on a sweater and some boots and drove over to Oliver’s old campaign office, taking the elevator down to the basement. 

 

A cacophony of sound greeted her as she emerged--laughter and shouts and a myriad of familiar voices. Way more than was usual for this time of night. When she rounded the corner she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight.

“Felicity!” Lyla greeted her.

“You made it!” Thea exclaimed, bounding over to her to wrap her in a tight hug. Felicity squeezed her back and looked around to see the whole team and then some, all hanging out around the conference table which Oliver was busy setting with plates and silverware. 

“Auntie Lissy!” came a high-pitched squeal as a small, but mighty force of nature barrelled into Felicity’s legs at full speed. 

“Sara!” Felicity said in surprise, bending down to scoop the newly-turned two year old into her arms and burying her face in the toddler’s curls. “Hi baby girl! Auntie missed you so much!” Lyla looked on as Felicity snuggled Sara and John sidled up next to them, looping an arm around his wife’s waist.

“We were wondering when you’d get here,” he said. 

“I had no idea this was even happening,” Felicity said. “I was coming to do some searches because Oliver said he was going to be late tonight.” 

“Well he and Thea showed up about an hour ago with all this food and told me to get Lyla and Sara over here,” John explained. Felicity glanced over to where Oliver was laughing heartily over something with Rory as the two of them peeled the foil off of the many dishes of food on the table. Quentin Lance sat at the table already, talking with Evelyn and even Rene had a small smile affixed to his face as he looked on at the group. 

“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Lyla asked Sara. In response, the toddler shook her head fiercely before laying it on Felicity’s shoulder. 

“She’s on a hunger strike,” John said with a sigh. “Two’s rough.” 

“I’ve got this,” Felicity assured them with a wink, rubbing Sara’s back. Lyla and John exchanged a glance and shrugged, meandering over to the table to help themselves to the food. “Uncle Oliver’s food is really yummy, but cuddles are great too, right?” She asked. Sara nodded very seriously, wrapping her little arms around Felicity’s neck tightly.

“Love you, Auntie,” she said, planting a sloppy kiss on Felicity’s cheek.

“I love  _ you _ , Sare-Bear,” she sighed in content. 

“You got my message,” Oliver said from behind her, making her jump a bit. 

“You didn’t mention you’d cooked or I’d have been here sooner,” Felicity chided him. Oliver smiled one of his mischievous smiles that caused her heart to flutter a bit. 

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he explained. “None of the new kids besides Curtis have a family to go home to. Quentin’s alone. John can’t even go home. I thought maybe it would be nice to have everyone together for a meal.” Felicity studied him for a moment in silence, pride evident all over her face. 

“You made all of this?” she asked. Oliver nodded.

“There’s a kitchen at city hall, thankfully. The set up I have here would have made it really difficult to cook a turkey.”

“It looks incredible,” Felicity said “This was a really sweet thing to do for everyone, Oliver.” He shrugged, looking almost bashful, and turned to admire his handiwork--all of their friends sharing a meal around the conference table together. 

“Hug! Uncle Ollie! Hug!” Sara demanded, her sweet little voice not impeding at all on her ability to let them know she meant business. She made grabby hands, wriggling in Felicity’s arms and reaching for Oliver. He chuckled as she leapt into his arms, delighting in the squeal of laughter that pierced the air when he pinched her sides.

“No! No! No tickles!” she shrieked. Oliver let up on his tickle attack, instead peppering her face with kisses and rubbing his beard over her cheeks as she giggled. “Uncle Ollie your face is fuzzy!” she informed him. 

“It is isn’t it?” he replied. “It’s kind of silly.”

“You’re silly!” Sara insisted.

“No, I’m hungry,” Oliver told her. “Can you help me eat some sweet potatoes and turkey?” Sara thought hard for a minute before putting her hands on Oliver’s cheeks and forcing him to look at her.

“Kay. I help you Uncle Ollie. But I get my own punkin’ pie.” Her no-nonsense tone made it very difficult for Oliver to keep a straight face, but somehow he managed. 

“Clearly you get your negotiating skills from your mother,” he chuckled.

“I not ‘gotiating,” she said petulantly.

“Yes ma’am,” Oliver said seriously. He leaned in so their noses were touching. “The punkin’ pie is all yours. Don’t tell your dad.” Sara nodded in agreement, clearly satisfied with the terms and conditions of their charter, and Oliver stole a glance at Felicity who was watching them in awe and adoration with a slight hint of longing behind her eyes. 

“Hey,” he said softly, in a voice he’d always reserved just for her. “I made you that pasta salad you like, but if you don’t get over there now you might miss out.” Felicity shook her head to clear it and stuttered out a ‘thank you’ before joining everyone else at the table. 

 

Once the whole group had finished with their first and second helpings and moved solidly onto dessert, Oliver cleared his throat to address them all with Sara still perched happily on his lap, the evidence of their pie arrangement all over her chubby cheeks. 

“Thank you all so much for coming on such short notice. It means a lot to me to be surrounded by friends and family--especially when I think back to a few years ago when I thought I’d never get this opportunity again. We’ve all had a rough go of it this year--” a chorus of chuckles and huffs of agreement echoed around the table, causing Oliver to crack a smile as he added, “--but maybe we can all share one thing we’re still thankful for.” 

There was a moment of silence as they chewed thoughtfully, everyone thinking about the past year and what it had brought them. Lyla was the first to speak.

“I’m thankful to have Johnny back home,” she said, resting a hand on the back of her husband’s neck and stroking the hair there. 

“I’m thankful to be back,” John countered. “And I’m thankful to have a family who will fight for me, even when I’ve given up fighting for myself.” He tilted his head at Oliver across the table as Lyla pulled him down to peck him on the cheek. 

“I’m thankful to have found this team. This...mission,” Rory spoke up. “Especially you, Felicity. You convinced me to stay. You’ve helped me find a way to heal. For that I’m very grateful.” He raised his glass to her and she hastily wiped her eyes as she tapped her own glass to his, swallowing down the lump in her throat. 

“I’m thankful for second chances,” Quentin announced, looking pointedly to Thea who sat beside him. “Or maybe third or fourth ones,” he chuckled. 

“And I’m thankful that you’re trying so hard,” she replied. Then she turned to Oliver, adding, “Both of you. I’m so proud to work alongside you. I’m thankful to be a part of it.” Quentin wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for a hug as Oliver smiled at the two of them.

“What about you, Sare-Bear?” Felicity asked the little girl on Oliver’s lap. “What do you want to say thank you for?” 

“Punkin’ pie!” She shouted in delight, her face lighting up as she giggled, and nobody could help themselves from grinning right along with her. 

“Evelyn? Rene?” Oliver said, turning to the two of them as the laughter died down.

“I guess I’m...thankful to have found a family,” Evelyn said. “Losing my parents was hard, but finding you guys has made it a little easier.”

“Yeah,” Rene said. “Same here. Thanks, mom and dad,” he said with just a hint of good-natured sarcasm thrown Oliver and Felicity’s way, causing the table to erupt in laughter all over again. The chuckles were so loud that it took them a minute to hear the blaring alarm from the main room, alerting them to a crime in progress. Once they realized it it only took a split second for them to jump into action. 

 

“It’s just some run of the mill craziness at the shopping center,” Felicity announced, checking over the scanner. “I hate black Friday when it starts on Thursday,” she huffed. 

“Well maybe we can send the newbies to scare some good manners into them,” Oliver suggested. “Suit up you guys.” 

“You’re not going with them?” Felicity asked incredulously as Evelyn, Rory and Rene took off for the dressing area together. 

“They can handle it,” he assured her. “I should probably clean this up while they’re out and then get back to the office. I have a pile of paperwork to get through’ and I don’t think the Green Arrow is needed at the mall.” Felicity shrugged and nodded, then followed him back to the table to help clean up. Thea and Quentin had migrated to the couch and John and Lyla were wrestling Sara into her coat near the elevator, so the two of them cleaned up in silence for a bit until they had both rounded the table and come shoulder to shoulder with each other. 

“So, you never answered the question,” Oliver said, voice barely a whisper. 

“Hmm?” She questioned, stacking the plates in front of her.

“What are you thankful for?” He clarified. She bit her lip in thought and took a deep breath, turning to lean against the table. 

“I’m thankful that...people can change for the better. Even when you’ve convinced yourself it was impossible.” She smiled a bit shyly up at him and felt her pulse quicken when he stared back at her in bewilderment, his breath hitching. “What about you?” She prodded, tucking her hair behind her ear and busying herself with the dishes again. She was caught a bit by surprise when he reached out and cupped her cheek so she had to look at him again. 

“I’m thankful that you never gave up on me. Even when you had every reason to. Even when everyone else walked away. You stayed. And I’ve never been more thankful for anything in my life, Felicity.” His gaze was intense and it made her shiver as he said, “Thank you.” 

She gulped and bit her lip again before pushing up on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his cheek, revelling in the feel of his skin under her lips. 

“I’m so proud of you, Oliver,” she whispered against his jaw. He turned just slightly to return the affection, brushing his own lips over her forehead. 

“Then I’m thankful for that too,” he said, smiling down at her. She returned his grin and leaned into him, sighing as he wrapped her in his arms and held her there, only letting go when Sara got loose from her parents and launched herself at them, clearly at the peak of her sugar high. Oliver pulled her into their hug, sandwiching her between the two of them and squeezing tightly as John and Lyla chased after her. 

“No more sugar for you tonight, young lady,” John scolded her, holding his hands out to take her. Sara shot him a dirty look, daring him to extricate her from the arms of her aunt and uncle. “Come on now, Daddy needs some love before you go home,” he insisted. Sara reluctantly returned to him and he held her tightly, clearly in no rush to send his family home without him again. 

“Thanks again for dinner, Oliver,” Lyla said, hugging both he and Felicity in turn.

“I’m glad everyone could make it,” Oliver replied.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to host again soon,” Lyla said, looking pointedly towards John as he rocked his daughter gently just out of earshot. “I know he’d never say it, but this whole thing has been really difficult for him. The two of you are his family, just as much as anyone. I’m really glad he has you...I’m really glad you all have each other.” She gave them a knowing look before thanking Oliver again and heading for the elevator, John carrying Sara who was now passed out on his shoulder, her little mouth agape as she snored. 

When the doors had closed behind them, Oliver turned back to Felicity with a sigh. 

“I should probably get going. Are you alright to wait for them to get back?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Felicity assured him. “We’ll be fine.”

“Call me if you need me?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Oliver paused to just look at her for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out again before leaning in and kissing her forehead again. 

“Goodnight, Felicity,” he murmured. 

“Goodnight, Oliver,” she replied. 


End file.
